


I Didn't Do It

by MidnightBlue66



Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Ezra Bridger Needs a Hug, Implied Character Death, Whumptober 2020, no.24
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27174319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightBlue66/pseuds/MidnightBlue66
Summary: Ezra gets punished for something he didn't do
Relationships: Ezra Bridger & Darth Maul
Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964185
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14





	I Didn't Do It

**Author's Note:**

> This includes Whumptober No.17: wrongfully accused; No. 19: grief/mourning loved ones; No.24: forced mutism

It had been a few months since Ezra had been taken out of his punishment from that dark cell and Maul had relentlessly trained the boy. Some days, the training was so brutal that Ezra would resort to begging Maul to stop, but he never did; said that there was no mercy. Ezra understood this very well now.

However, despite the brutalness of training, Ezra grew strong, and much quicker than he ever had when he had still been Kanan’s apprentice. But it was never good enough for Maul. He always wanted Ezra to grow even stronger and at a much faster rate. 

It was a day like any other and Ezra went through his warm up routine, doing a set of sit ups when Maul froze mid-sentence and there was a distant look in his eyes. Ezra opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but Maul held his hand up, silencing him. 

“Continue with your warm up and then walk through your forms,” he said and left out the large cavern they used for training before Ezra could say anything. 

Ezra frowned as he watched Maul stalk through the archway before continuing doing sit ups. It wasn’t unusual for his master to walk out like this, occasionally going out to rant out his anger or whatever else he does. He decided it was best not to mull too much over it and drew his thoughts away from Maul.

Still, Ezra could not shake that there was something  _ different _ this time. As to exactly what it was, he felt unsure of. There was a slight shift in the Force that surrounds Dathomir, but the planet was so heavily shrouded in darkness that it was nearly impossible for Ezra to see through it. Maul blamed it on the fact that Ezra still clung onto the light side of the Force, though Maul was very certain that he would change that soon enough.

Sighing, Ezra finished his set of sit ups before grabbing his lightsaber, igniting the green blade. He walked through his forms with ease when suddenly he faltered, nearly stumbling over his feet when an invisible force hit him. Ezra dropped his lightsaber as he grasped hold of his shirt where his heart twisted painfully and his lungs burned, and he realised he wasn’t breathing.

Collapsing to the floor, Ezra finally managed to take in air, his body shuddering from its exertion at such a simple task such as breathing. A thin layer of cold sweat broke out, causing the air in the cave to feel dreadfully colder. Something had happened, something bad. But he did not understand what as tears pricked his eyes, confused as to why his body was reacting this way. Or perhaps he already knew but did not want to ponder down that dark train of thought.

It couldn’t be.

Metal against rock echoed against the stone walls and Ezra knew that his master had returned. Maul walked into the cavern with an air of a predator and stalked straight over towards Ezra, his eyes burning to a dangerous degree and in his hand was his lightsaber staff. Ezra scrambled back, confused and scared but Maul grabbed hold of his arm and wrenched him up to his feet with a painful force, causing him to cry out in pain.

Ezra stared with terrified eyes as Maul changed his hold to Ezra’s hair, his scalp burning at the tight grip. The Zabrak sneered as he brought his lightsaber hilt closer to the boy’s neck and Ezra made a choking sound before finally finding his voice.

“Wha-?!”

“Don’t play innocent with me,  _ apprentice _ ,” Maul spat out, his lips tugging down in disdain. Ezra frowned, even more confused.

“I don’t know what yo-”

“Oh I am sure you do,” he again interrupted Ezra. “How else could your former little crew find us unless you told them?”

Time seemed to have stopped in that moment. It then occurred to Ezra that the small ripple in the Force must have been when Kanan entered the atmosphere. But if Kanan and the rest of the  _ Ghost _ crew came here for Ezra and the fact that Maul was here rather than out there meant…

Maul smiled cruelly, his eyes shining with cold satisfaction. “Oh yes, I am afraid your  _ friends _ will not be rescuing you after all. My lightsaber made sure of that.”

“ _ No, _ ” Ezra breathed out in disbelief and tried to pull himself away from Maul, but the Zabrak only tightened his grip. Tears poured down his cheeks for his fallen companions. They had come back for him, to rescue him, but Maul… Maul had killed them all.

“And now for you to face your punishment for your attempt at betraying me,” he sneered out, and threw Ezra to the ground.

“I didn’t betray you!” Ezra stammered out, panic taking hold of him. “I never contacted them, I swear!”

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Maul growled, and his lightsaber came to life with a  _ hiss-snap _ . He raised his blade and Ezra screwed his eyes shut, unable to watch as the blade come down. But no burning sensation overcame his senses and he dared a peek. Maul lowered his lightsaber and his lips turned upwards, making Ezra shudder at its coldness.

“I believe,” he began, “I have another solution for you.”

Grabbing Ezra by his arm again, he dragged the boy an alter at the far side of the room. Ezra struggled as they drew closer and closer, not liking where this was going. Maul shoved the boy down to the ground as he began taking out a bunch of vases and variants of ingredients. 

Ezra did not dare to move from his spot, too afraid to only make things worse by running away. But where would he even run to? He had nowhere left. No home, no family. Nothing, but Maul now. 

“Please, Master,” Ezra whimpered out, trying again to convince his master. “I didn’t tell them, I didn’t even speak with them since that abandoned outpost. I swear, Master. I-”

“ _Silence,_ ” Maul growled as he concentrated on conjuring up a concoction. Ezra bit the insides of his cheeks to prevent himself from speaking out again. He could only watch as the liquid in the bowl began to mist, glowing an eerie shade of green. Maul regarded his potion with satisfaction and poured it into a cup before glancing up at Ezra, and Ezra could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise. 

He tried to scramble away but Maul was quicker and was above the boy before he could get away any further. The Zabrak painfully grabbed hold of Ezra’s chin, forcing it open and Ezra’s eyes widened with fear as the cup was brought to his lips. He made a choking sound, desperately attempting to prevent the thick liquid from slipping down his throat. 

Despite his efforts, it had become too much and he was eventually forced to swallow the potion, gagging as it went down his throat. Tears spilled from his eyes as he was helpless to stop the potion. At first nothing happened, until a small prickling sensation began at the base of his throat, feeling nothing more than the itching sensation when you needed to cough. But then it grew, becoming hotter and hotter until it felt as if someone was burning the mucous lining of his insides.

Ezra screamed in agony, and Maul allowed him to collapse to the floor as he writhed in pain, grasping desperately at his throat. The pain had become almost blinding, his vision momentarily darkening, and before he knew it, it was over. He laid there on the ground, unmoving, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath, his body covered in a layer of clammy sweat.

When he had regained some of his composure and opened his mouth to ask his master what he had done to him. His eyes widened when no words came out. Panicked, he moved his tongue again and again, no sound. Maul’s face gleamed with satisfied amusement as he chuckled at the boy’s futile efforts to speak.

“Now you can no longer betray me with that tongue of yours,” Maul said. “This is the price you must pay for defying me. You should be grateful I didn’t put you back in that cell again.”

Ezra did not acknowledge his master’s words, too distraught at the fact that not only had he lost his family permanently, but he could no longer speak. 

“Don’t worry, my apprentice,” Maul continued as he placed a false reassuring hand on Ezra’s shoulder, causing the boy to flinch. “I will undo the magick once I deem you have learnt your lesson.”

The Zabrak got up and pulled the boy up to his feet before forcing him forward down one of the darkened corridors. Ezra stumbled into his room as Maul shoved him before closing the door, leaving Ezra alone. He dropped to his knees as he blankly stared at the dirt, unwilling to think of what had occurred. 

A fresh tear made its way down and Ezra opened his mouth to cry out in frustration and misery, but again, no sound came out only making him feel worse, unable to vocally vent out. 

He _hated_ his master. _Hated_ Maul for what he did. He had taken everything from Ezra, and now he was nothing more than a muted, empty shell. Helpless. Weak. Pathetic.

Ezra angrily wiped away the tears from his eyes. He hated the Spectres for showing up. He had told them not to come after them, Maul had warned them not to. And then they did and Ezra had been the one punished for it. And now they’re dead. The thought vaporised the anger and hate, leaving Ezra feeling exhausted.  Curling onto the ground, he closed his eyes despite knowing that sleep would not take him. Still, he could only hope that the darkness would come and embrace him, numbing all feelings and pain. He wished that Maul had taken away his ability to feel rather than his voice. But he knew that would be too merciful, even if Ezra had been accused for something he hadn't done. In this world, there was no such thing as mercy.

**Author's Note:**

> Well. This one is pretty dark haha... hope you enjoyed it nonetheless :)


End file.
